4
letters to the editor/community bulletin board
april6
2017
Readers Lend Their Voices...
To the Editor,
We have a great deal of respect
and gratitude for three of the four City
Council members, Tim and Heidi with
the Parks Committee and several city
employees. However: We feel that
for some time now and still, the City
of Vernonia discriminates against new
businesses to protect the monopolies
held by the few that currently exist. As I
stated at the workshop, “I believe this is
an ethics issue.” Until our town is being
run fairly for all, we will find another
location for our ice cream concession
trailer.
Richard and I intend to remain
a part of this community and be actively
involved in bringing forth the changes
that are needed to help Vernonia thrive
and provide opportunities to all its
residents, not just a select few.
Please consider this letter as
the formal withdrawl of our proposal.
We have had four meetings with the
City Administrator, attended four City
Council meetings, one Parks Committee
Meeting, and one City Council
workshop. After more than six months
we still have nothing concrete. We now
fear how the bigger and more important
issues of the City are being handled.
This would have been delivered
in person at the City Council meeting on
March 20. But with all things considered
we are tired of being talked down
to by one of your members and city
employees. We do not feel that we need
to subject ourselves to any more of their
self-serving, condescending attitudes
being projected at us.
David Sterner and Richard Traver
Vernonia
To the Editor,
Wholesale natural gas prices
dropped from 3.30 to 2.85 dollars/
million BTU last month, the largest
single drop since 2015 Jan even as much
of the country experienced lingering
snow.
One reason - natural gas is
being captured as a byproduct of ever
more efficient oil fracking and creating
an oversupply. Keep in mind even a 3%
oversupply begins to back up storage
capacity as weeks turn into months.
The long term effect on
residential users could be the Oregon
PUC supporting another reduction in
rates as happened in 2015 when the
Northwest Natural Gas rates were
lowered by 11%.
Wayne Mayo
Scappoose
To the Editor,
Missile defense should be a
new priority for Senators Ron Wyden,
Maria Cantwell, Patty Murray, and Jeff
Merkley.
North
Korea’s
bellicose
comments coupled with their recent
rocket engine tests have extended the
radius of danger which according to
reports in The Wall Street Journal now
may include the west coast of America.
True or not, steps should be
taken.
The mobile missile defense
system known as ‘Thaad” capable
of
intercepting
and
destroying
incoming ICBM missiles has been
deployed in Japan and South Korea
recently. The effectiveness of this
system is so advanced that China has
registered adamant disapproval at what
this defensive hardware does to the
“threat equation.”
The Chinese response to a purely
defensive upgrade raises questions about
their political intentions and just how
big of a part they play in encouraging
North Korea’s nuclear ambitions.
Thaad
should
be
immediately dispatched on the west
coast to protect Washington and Oregon
starting with the high density population
centers.
There is no question the
American military would respond to any
attack with devastating precision which
under “normal” circumstances should be
a powerful deterrent.
But North Korea’s social
construct
doesn’t
reflect
values
or circumstances Americans would
recognize as normal.
Wayne Mayo
Scappoose
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or mail to: Letters, PO Box 55, Vernonia, OR 97064.
Columbia Humane Society
Featured Pet
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He does enjoy playing with other
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Web: www.columbiahumane.org
Phone: 503-397-4353
2084 Oregon Street
Email: animalwelfare@columbiahumane.org
St. Helens, OR 97051
Lawyer in the
Law Library
Upcoming
Events
A workshop on Divorce and
Custody issues is scheduled to take place
Wednesday, April 12 from 6:00-8:00 pm
at the Columbia County Law Library,
located at 270 South First St. in St.
Helens. The focus will be on custody,
parenting plans and best interests of the
child. Your questions will be welcome.
A local attorney will be the
guest speaker. The workshop is FREE
and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. No
registration is required. The workshop
marks the 4 th in the “Lawyer in the Law
Library” series being hosted by the law
library.
For more information, contact
Columbia County Law Librarian
Pam Davis at (503) 396-5344 or at
davis12000@aol.com.
Mist-Birkenfeld RFPD Pancake
Feed - Saturday, April 8, 8:00-
11:00 am at the Mist-Birkenfeld
Main Fire Station, 12525 Hwy
202, Mist.
Contra Dance in Astoria
Featuring Hobe Kytr
Clatsop County Stringband will be
playing April 14, 2017 from 7:00 to 10:00 pm for
the 2 nd Friday Contra dance at Astoria Arts and
Movement Center. All dances taught. No partner
or experience necessary.
The Astoria Arts and Movement Center
is located at 342 10 th Street Astoria, OR. Cost is on
a sliding scale, $5-$10 – pay what you can.
Clatsop County Stringband members
Knox Swanson, Larry Moore, Gina and Hobe Kytr
and caller Dave Ambrose invite you to join them
for an evening of great music, dancing, laughing,
and good times. Knox and Larry are members of
the Beerman Creek Stringband. Gina and Hobe
formerly played in the Blue Heron Stringband
with their good friend Ann Baldwin. All are
looking forward to sharing their love of music
and dancing with you.
Volunteer Fair - Wednesday, April
12, 5:30 - 7:30 pm at the Vernonia
Schools Lobby. Potential volun-
teers will have a chance to meet
with current volunteers and hear
about groups, histories, missions,
and descriptions of jobs that need
volunteers.
Vernonia Community-wide Easter
Egg Hunt - Saturday, April 15 at
Hawkins Park. Starts promptly at
10:00 am for kids10 & under.
mEgga Egg Hunt - Saturday, April
15, 9:30 am - 1:00 pm at the Co-
lumbia County Fair Grounds. Egg
Hunt begins promptly at 11:00 am.
Five age groups for kids 12 & un-
der, Special Needs hunt is avail-
able for youth ages 15 & under.
4-H petty zoo, 4-H dog demo, ro-
botics demo, face painting, horse
rides by Col. Co. Rodeo Court,
coloring contest, and more. FREE
Earth Day Vernonia Library Clean
Up Event - Saturday, April 22. If
interested in volunteering, contact
Shannon Romtvedt at the library
or email shannonr@vernonia-or.
gov .
Kindergarten Round-up - Thurs-
day, May 4 at the Vernonia
Schools. Please call for an ap-
pointment, (503) 429-1333.
P.E.O. Spring Tea - Saturday, May
6, 1:00 pm at the Cabin in Verno-
nia. Entertainment, light lunch,
raffle, and more! See page 9 for
more information.
Volunteer Open House at L.L.
Stub Stewart State Park April 8
The Friends of the Stub Stewart
State Park & Banks-Vernonia Rails to
Trails are holding an open house on April
8, 2017, from 10 am to 2 pm to let you
know about their volunteer opportunities
available at the L.L. Stub Stewart State
Park and Banks-Vernonia State Trail.
There are a wide variety of
volunteer opportunities for those who
love the outdoors and particularly the
L.L. Stub Stewart State Park and Banks-
Vernonia State Trail. You can volunteer
a few hours a month or more often if you
like. Volunteer opportunities include just
about anything you might be interested
in, from greeting and talking with
visitors, telling them about your love of
the flora and fauna in the park, helping
with students coming on field trips or
giving some of your time to perform trail
work, leading hikes or trail rides. For
anyone who prefers working indoors,
there are volunteer opportunities in the
Discovery Depot Interpretive Center &
Store. Besides greeting visitors, there
is doing inventory, stocking or ordering
products, or administrative tasks like
helping with social media, bookkeeping
or IT assistance to the Friends Group.
As you can see, just about any
interest you have can become your
volunteer activity. Come and visit with
us, share your interests at the open house
at the L.L. Stub Stewart State Park
located at 30380 NW Hwy 47, Buxton
OR on April 8 in the Welcome Center’s
Discovery Depot Interpretive Center
between 10 am and 2 pm. Parking is free
at the Welcome Center that day. We look
forward to meeting and signing you up
for these fun, interesting, and valuable
volunteer opportunities.
More information can be found
at www.StubStewartFriends.Org or on
our Facebook page.
The Friends of Stub Stewart
State Park and Banks-Vernonia Rails to
Trails began in 1991 with a handful of
neighbors who wanted to preserve an
old abandon railroad line and make it
a scenic trail for use by hikers, bikers,
and horseback riders. It became the
first Rails to Trails project in the state of
Oregon, the Banks-Vernonia State Trail.
As Oregon State Parks decided to build
the state’s first State Park in 20 years,
L.L. Stub Stewart State Park, the friends
and neighbors embraced the project
and became the Friends Group for both
parks.